AGRIBUSINESS TECHNICAL SERVICES UNIT AGRICUTURE COOPERATIVES WORKSHOP OF OIC MEMBER COUNTRIES AND STUDY VISITS IN TURKEY COUNTRY PRESENTATION – THE GAMBIA BY: ABA GIBRIL SANKAREH DEPUTY DIRECTOR/REGISTRAR OF COOPERATIVES

CONTENTS  General status of Agriculture Sector  General profile of agriculture producers  Major Agri-Food Products Produced  Major Agri-Food Traded (imported and exported)  Status of Agriculture Cooperatives

LOCATION  The Gambia is a country located in West Africa bordered by Senegal in the North, South & East  The capital city is Banjul  It has an area of 11,300 Sq Km  Its shape is narrow extending from km on each side of the banks and 400 km along the River Gambia  The river derives from Futa Djallon highlands in Guinea

4 LOCATION (CONT.) Figure 1. The map of the Gambia (source:

POPULATION  The population of The Gambia is estimated at million according the 2013 population census  The annual population growth rate is estimated at 3.1% per annum (Source: GBOS)

LANGUAGES  English is the official language of the country in which all Government matters are transacted. A number of local languages are spoken, these include: Mandinka (42%) Wollof (16%) Fula (18%) Jola (10%) Serahule (9%) & Others (5%)

AGRICULTURE SECTOR PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:  Vegetation is Guinea Savanna Woodland in coastal area changing into open Sudan Savanna in the east  Topography is largely unvaried consisting of riverine flats and mangrove swamps and savanna woodland with shrub and grass  Climate is Sudano- Sahelian characterized by short dry season from June to October and a long dry spell from October to May

AGRICULTRE SECTOR CONT.  Mean annual rainfall varies from 900mm in south- west to about 500mm in the north-east with average of 750mm for the country as a whole  The country is divided into six agricultural regions: West Coast Region (WCR), NBR, LRR, Central River North (CRR-N, Central River South (CRR-S) and Upper River Region (URR)

SECTOR STRUCTURE  Characterized by small-scale, subsistence rain fed crop production (mainly g/nuts, coarse grains, rice, cassava, Cashew nuts)  Traditional livestock rearing  Semi-commercial groundnut & horticultural production  Small cotton & large artisanal fisheries sub-sector

SECTOR STRUCTURE CONT.  Agricultural output generated by around 69,100 farm households (500,000 people engaged in farming  Cultivating 320,000ha annually or about 57% of total arable land estimated at 558,000ha  3,300ha of land is under irrigation  Men engaged in upland mechanized cropping  Women in rice cultivation and horticulture

PROFILE OF PRODUCERS  Groundnut – male dominated (5 -20 ha)  Coarse grains (mz,l&e/m,sorgh.) male (5-20ha)  Rice Swamp – female (5-20ha)  Rice upland – both male &female (5-20ha)  Vegetable – female ( less than 5ha)  Fruits – male (above 20ha)  Sesame – female (less than 5ha)  Livestock – both male & female (5- 300)

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE  Accounts for about 30% of GDP  Provides employment to 75% of the country’s population (500,000 households)  Meet about 50% of the national food requirements  Its share of the country’s total export is 70%  Sole means of income generation for majority of rural households  91% of the extremely poor & 72% of the poor work in agriculture

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE CONT.  Agriculture employs 78% of the women labour force, majority of whom live below poverty line  Therefore, it is regarded as the prime sector for investments to raise income, improve food security and reduce poverty

MAJOR AGRI-FOOD PRODUCTS PRODUCED  As stated above, the major crops in The Gambia include groundnut, rice and coarse grains (including sorghum, millet and maize)  Coarse grains are the main food crops throughout the country together with groundnuts ( and to a lesser extent cotton) which are the major cash crops  Sesame, cowpea, cassava and cashew  Horticultural – vegetables and fruits  Livestock and livestock products  Fish and forest products

MAJOR AGRI-FOOD PRODUCTS TRADED (IMPORTED&EXPORTED)  Groundnuts (China)  Rice ( Import,Thailand, Viet Nam, India)  Coarse grains (Cross border trade)  Flour ( Import, Turkey)  Cashew nuts ( Export, ECOWAS,India)  Vegetables & fruits (ECOWAS)  Sesame (Export to ECOWAS)  Meat & dairy products (Senegal)  Fish & forest products ( Asia,China)

MAJOR AGRI-FOOD PRODUCTS TRADED (IMPORTED&EXPORTED Main domestic exports ( Senegal, Mali & Guinea) Basically as re-exports  Edible fruits  Groundnut products  Fish & fishery products export to Americas  Forest products (wood)- Exports to Americas (US, Peru)

STATUS OF AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES  The Agribusiness Services Unit is responsible for the regulation of cooperative development in The Gambia through the implementation of the Cooperative societies Act.  It does so by providing regular supervision of societies through audit and inspection, registration of societies and also provide guidance and advice to societies.  Marketing of agric. Goods through market linkages  Facilitate access & distribution of agric. inputs

STATUS OF AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE:  Cooperatives introduced in The Gambia in the early 1950s  Three types: Agricultural (Largest) Credit Unions Workers cooperatives (self-employed)  Until 1990 provide vital services such as marketing of produce, provision of agricultural inputs and credit for personal & commercial purposes

STATUS OF AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES CONT.  The Cooperative Produce Marketing Societies (CPMS) are typical examples of state organized and controlled cooperatives.  Liquidation of GCU necessitated reorganization of the primary societies into larger ones to enable them become more economically viable.  In this way, societies were reduced from 82 to 58, and these are the ones used for marketing of groundnuts & other commodities up to date in collaboration with GGC.

STATUS OF AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES CONT.  With the market liberalization in late 1980s, the movement suffered a major setback  Liquidation of the apex body GCU in 1998 resulted in almost grounding of the agricultural cooperatives  Government of the Gambia has indicated strong commitment to national development to attain food security  Commitment articulated in country’s national policy document principally GNAIP, Vision 2020 & 2016 pronounced by His Excellency the President

STATUS OF AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES CONT.  Recognizing past achievements of the cooperatives, revitalization as a means to attaining the objectives of Vision 2020,2016 & GNAIP has become a major agenda from the Executive.  The National Assembly summoned a meeting between the Ministry of Agriculture & Assembly’s select Committee on Agriculture at the Assembly building to look into the possibility of reviving the cooperatives

STATUS OF AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES CONT.  From January to date, 44 cooperatives have been registered through the Office of the Registrar.  Agricultural Projects ( LHDP, MDG 1c, Nema) and Concern Universal, an NGO are registering their groups into cooperatives to realize economic benefits  Also to easily access the inputs required to grow crops and keep livestock & help them process, transport and market their produce.

CONCLUSION  In conclusion, agricultural cooperatives contribute to food security by helping small farmers to access the information, tools and services they needed.  This allows them to increase food production, market their goods and create jobs, improve their own livelihoods and increasing food security in the World

THANK YOU ABARAKA JEREJEFF NJARAMA NOOWAARI